Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

Tonight we're having a going away party for two coteachers of mine who are leaving for Japan in a week or so. I consider it a little last minute because they only told me about it last night, but since I probably won't be seeing these people for a year or so, that's it's worth cancelling any previous plans. Which I only have one of, which I was thinking of ditching anyway.

Another part of my job I haven't mentioned so far is that I'm the consultant of two theses groups not part of the department. One is a pair of American Studies students who have done research on the practicality of the Mars program. I have been their mentor for a year or so now, and last week they just submitted the first draft of their final paper (in preparation of a defense).

The other is a trio of Computer Science students who need to make a software, so they chose something that can be used by other members of the university, namely, astronomy. They'll be redefending their proposal next week, after some frustrating setbacks I'll probably detail some other time.